In this hate-to-love fated mates romantic fantasy (romantasy) - a vampire and fae warrior must survive deadly trials to break a soul-shattering curse in this slow-burn second chance romance. I loved him once. Now I cling to the hate, currently measured in the inches of steel I've driven into his chest. Two centuries ago, Mikael didn't just break my heart--he shattered us. The vampire I trusted above all others betrayed me and ignited a war that left our people in ruins. To end the slaughter, I bargained with the Fates and drained the land of magic, and broke myself in ways time can't mend. What survived was a fae warrior turned city ruler, burying her past beneath liquor, duty, and the bond I severed. When Mikael returns, alive when he shouldn't be, I do what any rational woman would: stab him in the heart. But death isn't on the table for him. He's come back with a confession, and a curse - the amulet he stole came with a price. The one you love most will die. My soul has fractured into four pieces. To break the curse before it kills me, we must recover each fragment. Riddles sear themselves into our skin, igniting with every touch--skin to skin, bond to bond--dragging us into the closeness I swore never to endure again. As the curse frays, so does the magic suppressing our bond, unraveling every feeling I've spent two centuries trying to destroy. Each fragment recovered cracks the walls I've built wider, revealing truths I buried beneath denial and rage. When the final riddle is solved, I'll face the cruelest truth of all: breaking the curse may cost me the person I love most. I'm terrified it's still him. PERFECT FOR FANS OF : Quicksilver, When the Moon Hatched, Parker, Serpent and Wings of Night, Smoke and Scar, No Rest for the Wicked TROPES AND SPICE: Hate-to-Love Fated Mates/Soul Bond Second Chance Romance Vampire x Fae Forced Proximity Spicy Slow Burn Quest/ Deadly Trials